Artist Pierre Charpin’s works adorn sweaters by Koivu, the design world-approved knitwear label
Pierre Charpin’s works appear as embroideries across the latest collection from Koivu, a Finnish-Italian knitwear label founded by design consultant and curator Anniina Koivu

Founded by Anniina Koivu – a design consultant and curator who has worked with Kvadrat, Vitra and Iittala, among others – Finnish-Italian label Koivu has become an in-the-know favourite for design-world denizens seeking the perfect sweater (case in point: her designs are often spotted in the Wallpaper* offices).
Crafted from 100 per cent merino yarn in a compact lock stitch specially developed by the Koivu team, the satisfyingly weighty jumpers – 800g of dense knit, to be precise – are cut with a loose, straight fit for both men and women. ‘[They] can be comfortably worn by anyone,’ says Koivu.
Koivu: the in-the-know label loved by the design world
The sweaters feature two designs: here, a work called ‘Flo’ twists around the body
Koivu’s classic jumpers are already available in a range of monochrome shades, and a new collaboration with Pierre Charpin sees them adorned with the French artist and designer’s unique works, here rendered in embroidery. Charpin, who is known for his work with graphic forms and broad use of colour, has created two drawings for the project.
The first is titled ‘Flo’, and features colourful, twisting lines across a navy blue jumper; the second is called ‘Scala’ – crafted from white thread on a black Koivu sweater – and recalls a staircase. The limited-edition styles launch this month (September 2023).
A closer look at the ‘Scala’ design, which recalls a staircase in white thread on a black sweater
A second, ongoing collaboration accompanies the A/W 2023 release, seeing Giulio Ridolfo – a textile and colour expert from Italy – create a series of sweaters in bi-tonal knits. From afar, they look like a single colour; look closer, and they are knitted from a subtle melange of two similar shades.
‘When artificial colours are monochromatic, they react differently to light. Sometimes they lack depth,‘ he explains. ‘To achieve deeper tones in textiles, we work with juxtapositions.’
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
Jack Moss is the Fashion Features Editor at Wallpaper*, joining the team in 2022. Having previously been the digital features editor at AnOther and digital editor at 10 and 10 Men magazines, he has also contributed to titles including i-D, Dazed, 10 Magazine, Mr Porter’s The Journal and more, while also featuring in Dazed: 32 Years Confused: The Covers, published by Rizzoli. He is particularly interested in the moments when fashion intersects with other creative disciplines – notably art and design – as well as championing a new generation of international talent and reporting from international fashion weeks. Across his career, he has interviewed the fashion industry’s leading figures, including Rick Owens, Pieter Mulier, Jonathan Anderson, Grace Wales Bonner, Christian Lacroix, Kate Moss and Manolo Blahnik.
-
Watch dance, music and film collide at a unique event at Abbey Road Studios
In this exclusive film, watch Abbey Road’s first Artist in Residence, Jordan Rakei, collaborate with industry-leading creatives to produce a dance performance in the hallowed Studio One
By Anna Solomon
-
Frances Elkins gets her dues at Christie's this June
You can soon take home a piece of the legendary American designer’s legacy…including a $3 million Alberto Giacometti sculpture.
By Anna Fixsen
-
The new Phone 2 Pro from CMF combines generous scale with true affordability
We explore the ins and outs of the CMF Phone 2 Pro, the newest device from the Nothing sub-brand that focuses on bold design and carefully honed value engineering
By Jonathan Bell